Saturday, April 7, 2018

Long Time Gone



I think this is the longest I have ever gone without writing a post since I started this blog (back in 2010)!!!  It's been a Long Winter and it ain't over yet!!  Two days after the snow disappeared from the pastures, the cows' noses were to the ground!  Green was showing up!  One would think I would have lots of quilting projects accomplished during this winter but not so!  One Big Job (I say Big Job because it was not something I Wanted to do but Had to do!) was to make a new ironing board cover......bought yards and yards of this twill at a local remnant shop years ago and it should last my whole life!  I took a photo of the old, disgusting one but would be too embarrassed to show it to anyone!  



 On the ironing board is a Betsy Chutchian quilt in progress..........now it is in the next stage.....a Top!  


Made one log cabin block as a start for a bedsized quilt that I want to make with these 6" squares.  Loved the small one I made (in previous post, I think) so much after I handquilted it, that I wanted to make a cozy one for our bed!  Of course, now I am having slightly Second Thoughts......would also like Courthouse Step blocks, or maybe even Pineapples (probably would need to paper-piece those which means I likely won't do them!)  


Also made two more blocks for my 9-Patch that turned into sort of a Sampler.

This is where Sally, our Coon cat, spent most of the winter.  She had a couple of incidents that laid her low for a few weeks but is back to her perky, annoying old self now (another cat has tried to move in and she says "No...this is my territory" and she defended fiercely!)  Spent quite of bit of time carrying wood and keeping the two woodstoves going!


And I spent quite a bit of time filling bird feeders but the entertainment they provided was wonderful!   Sweet tiny Goldfinches liked the thistle seeds!   Also had lots of Chickadees, Juncoes, gorgeous Cardinals, Nuthatcher, blue jays, sparrows and even some of the ubiquitous crows came to the feeders this year!  The squirrels who chewed a hold in the peak of my building and moved into the attic were less than wonderful (in fact, a nightmare!) and have been caught in Have A Heart trap and given "transportation"!!  That is a whole other Long Story!!




This is what is in my hoop now......a center medallion (Hewson's vase/bird panel repro) and I am now out to border #4....found a nice little leafy design that fills those triangles pretty nicely.  But then I get to do the next border with a cable.....love to quilt cables.  Did a rather simple one for the first border and can't decide if I want to continue on with the same on or find another....I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

New fabrics arrived from time to time......this is "Susanna" from Windham.....nice for broderie perse applique!  And little birds to fussy-cut!


And then there is "Bathwick", loverly 18th century designs.....nice gnarley branches...pretty flowers for broderie perse!  From Australian designer Karen Style for Marcus.




This is "Farmhouse Reds" tho you can see I got little "red".....mostly nice backgrounds this time!!


And from another Austrailian designer, "Maling Road", Di Ford's new line from Andover.....also early.






And American Jane from Moda keeps us supplied with the bright Provencals!!



A departure for me ....but I love "Lilac Ridge" by Jan Patek!  My Mom's favorite flower.........




This was kind of a whim......."Chalk & Timber" from Marcus to add to my pink and brown collections!


My "Long Time Gone" post title came from this pattern book by Jen Kingwell........Would love to make a similar quilt but with Reproductions!  Until next time......hopefully not so long!

27 comments:

  1. Good to see a post from you, Cyndi!
    What a pristine ironing board cover. I bought a new one, because my current one is stained brown over much of the surface. But I hate to put the new one on and see the same thing happen to it. :)
    Great version of Betsy's little quilt. I have been drawn to that pattern, too.
    And love the log cabin--I am currently making half log cabin blocks, with wider logs. They sew up very quickly (if you don't have your arm in a sling).
    Good shots of the feeding birds.
    So many lovely fabrics--I would probably sit and pet them all day and not accomplish anything.
    I have come so close, so many times, to ordering that Jen Kingwell pattern. It is like a whole lot of mini quilts sewn together.

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    1. So glad to hear your are recuperating well!!!

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  2. Beautiful photos, as usual! So sorry about your kitty. Hope she's all healed now.

    I did Long Time Gone in all Jo Mortons. I absolutely love it. I just have to quilt it now, which is more of a challenge than making it!!

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    1. Would love to see your quilt top! Any chance you could send a photo?

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  3. Beautiful fabric! Planning a trip up soon.

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    1. Will be nice to see you again! Your new house looks lovely!

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  4. jen kingwell is a serious enabler for sure...i love her patterns...midnight at the oasis is waiting for me...have heard all about the winter from my mom...beautiful fabrics as always!

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    1. I told a friend about planning to use the Long Time Gone pattern and she said she already had! Guess I am slow to find it!

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  5. Beautiful quilts in the works! I love feeding the birds too. I had a friend that wouldn't feed the finches in the winter because she deemed them too ugly. I told her if they starved during the winter, she would never see their beauty come spring! hahaha! Hope your next post isn't too far away ...

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    1. I love feeding/watching the birds! The feed in my post is outside my kitchen window (photo taken through the glass) and I am able to see them close up. Can't move, tho, lest they fly away! I marvel at the goldfinches surviving the brutal cold we had this winter.....they are So Tiny and Fragile-looking.

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  6. So many beauties! Love all of your fabric additions...and the iron board cover...AND the betsy quilt! Wow! Gorgeous log cabin blocks too! Concerning the pineapple blocks...There is a Creative Grids template tool available that helps make accurate pineapples without paper piecing. Jenny from Missouri Star Quilting has a video on it on Youtube too...looks like fun, though I have yet to give it a try!

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    1. I think I may have the Pineapple ruler in the shop...will check to see what size blocks it makes.....I want to make 6" but maybe I should make larger to be sure of finishing the quilt in my lifetime!

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  7. Replies
    1. Wish I were still buying yours! Glad I started buying/collecting them 20 years ago ...really need them now!

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  8. I've totally missed you and your posts! I love your projects. I'd like to make a humble log cabin for my bed.
    Lovely new arrivals. I love lilacs too!

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    1. Thanks, Lori....felt good to write a post again! Love the Lincoln blocks! Motivational! Wish I could have joined your Swap but with my like I have trouble meeting deadlines! Hope you can keep the links to past quilt swaps on your blog as they are most inspiring to scroll through!

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  9. what a bunch of delicious fabrics! drooling here! Hope I can find some of the ones I loved.

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    1. Contact me by Facebook, email, or phone! Happy to do mail orders!

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  10. Love to see your projects and fabric combo.Great fabric eye !

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  11. I'm just getting back myself. Your posts are always so beautiful! I can't wait to get up there!!!

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    1. New fabrics to see! Love seeing your new Noah and Matilda blocks on FB......impeccable as always!!

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  12. HI Cyndi! Long time no see! I left work at 55 and took a vow of poverty- not much buying for me...thank goodness for a huge stash! Finishing up Jane Austen- uggg for the borders; came across your site following Barbara Brackman for John Hewson- my next quilt! Beth Wilson

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    1. Well, Hello, Beth Wilson! I have thought of you often the past few years! How Long has it been??? Are you still in Maine? Do you have a blog or Facebook so we can see your quilts??

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  13. Good to see you back. Thanks for showing all the new early repro fabrics. I managed to get to your shop about 18 months ago (I like in Maryland) and hope to get back to Maine in early fall. It's time to stock up on repros again! I love the two brown blocks you made.

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  14. Such lovely projects Cyndi! The sunflower is an amazing block. Merry Christmas to you and yours, with much love.
    กำถั่ว

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  15. Scrappy log cabins are a favorite with so many choices of putting them together. Thanks for sharing the pretty new fabrics.

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  16. I'm hoping you will be open during Maine Quilts. I hope to stop in. Can't wait!

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